1976-2011

Sometimes life is a dance. Sometimes it's a drunken stumble. Sometimes its like an explosion has gone off and you find yourself 100 feet in the air, your arms flailing for balance and the rest of you wondering what the hell you are going to do about the drop. This is life. This is Parking. I guess this is me right now.

This blog has been pretty quiet since Darren Caulwell died. It came as such a shock to me that there just didn't seem like there was much to say. For a solid two months, silence was the only possible reaction.

Darren Caulwell 1976-2011

What can I possibly say about his driving that hasn't been said already? Darren was a one off. The redemptive and inspirational power of his clutch control will be sorely missed and surely remain a topic of Park club conversation for many years to come. The man behind the Park Heard Round the World. A expert of the double touch finish. A true genius of the type that shines a light on the whole of multiple reverse angle tight gap parking. That light however... casts a terrible shadow.

We have spoken before about Darrens drink and drug fuelled lifestyle. The famous after-party's that led to infamous hang overs and eventually a slide down the world rankings that once saw him slip outside the top 10. A travesty considering his more than ample talent. It seems crazy that Tight-slot Parking should have had such a destructive influence in his life where it has been the saving grace of so many others. Some will remember Darren breaking a headlight  at the Toyota IQ Squeeze-off in 2010. Some will remember his aggressive rant to a Detroit policeman that was the main selling point of Gonzo gap-parking fan-flick 'Bumper to Bumper'. Others will just remember the smell.

This is not the Darren I choose to remember.

I took this picture in Berlin, Darren and I had just shared a rum and coke from the mini-bar and were considering hitting the free buffet. If I had known that this would be the last time I would see him alive, I probably would have taken him up on the offer

I will remember his easy smile and infectious laughter. I will remember Darren the imp sneaking into the women's bathroom with his digital camera and endoscopic lens. I will remember how always ate his meals alone because he was afraid that people would try to steal his food. I will remember the kid I met in 1989 who liked to park cars. By then he was already bald as a cue ball, he liked to joke that he was born that way. DW was working as a hotel valet back then, but it was obvious even to the casual observer that he would go on to achieve great things.

Darren had one of the largest collections of Betamax video machines outside of Eastern Europe

 All of us face death at some point in our lives. All of us will lose a friend, a lover, even a child. But in losing Darren at least all of us have lost something together. As a community we can lean on and support each other in this dark time for our sport. In my mind and in my heart he's still out there, cruising the streets of the west country, searching for the perfect Gap.